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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27651838">AvAvP: Animorphs vs Aliens vs Predators</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuffShipper/pseuds/BuffShipper'>BuffShipper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Alien Series, Aliens vs Predators Series - Various Authors, Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Character(s), Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Invasion, Alien Technology, Animal Transformation, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, Canon Era, Chestburster, Claustrophobia, Controllers (Animorphs), Crossover, Easter Eggs, F/M, Hork-Bajir, Hybrids, Movie Reference, Multiple Crossovers, Not Canon Compliant, POV First Person, Pop Culture, Shapeshifting, South America, Survival Horror, Taxxons, Xenomorphs (Alien), Yautja, Yeerks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:40:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,341</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27651838</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuffShipper/pseuds/BuffShipper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Animorphs race to the rain forests of South America to investigate a mysterious spacecraft before the Yeerks can salvage it, and inside they discover an evil even more terrifying than even the Yeerks...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill &amp; Jake Berenson &amp; Cassie &amp; Marco &amp; Rachel &amp; Tobias, Jake Berenson &amp; Tom Berenson, Jake Berenson/Cassie (Animorphs), Rachel (Animorphs)/Tobias (Animorphs)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Jake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hi, my name is Jake. Just Jake.</p><p>I can't tell you anything more. My last name. Where I live, what state I live in, what school I go to.</p><p>I'd like to, but I don't know if you are a Controller or not.</p><p>What is a Controller? If you're reading this and aren't one, read carefully, because I'm gonna give you a crash course in reality so you can prepare yourself.</p><p>The Earth is being invaded.</p><p>Not by some <em>War of the Worlds</em> or <em>Independence Day</em> style open war, but more like <em>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</em>. Slow steady infiltration by a species of intelligent, slug-like beings called the Yeerks.</p><p>They'll crawl into your brain through your ear canal and take over your body completely, rifling through your memories to better be you. They'll make you betray everyone you love to become host bodies for more Yeerks, spreading like a virus until the whole world is like them.</p><p>They've done this to so many other planets, it just so happens that we're next, and the ideal host bodies: numerous, physically capable, technologically primitive compared to their stolen technology.</p><p>Lucky us.</p><p>I know it sounds crazy, but it is true. Even more crazy than that is the fact that myself, my wisecracking best friend Marco, my half-Barbie-half-warrior-princess cousin Rachel, my nature loving girlfriend Cassie, our resident talking red-tailed hawk and Rachel's boyfriend Tobias, and an alien Andalite named Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill are fighting them by turning into animals.</p><p>How, you ask?</p><p>A long while ago, Ax's brother Elfangor crash-landed in a construction site when Marco, Rachel, Cassie, pre-bird Tobias, and I were just looking for a shortcut home.</p><p>He warned us of the invasion of the Yeerks, and gave us the Andalite morphing technology: we can acquire the DNA of any living animal and transform into them for two hours at a time. Any longer than that and we can be trapped in that form. Permanently.</p><p>Tobias is a daily living reminder of that.</p><p>It's just the six of us until the Andalite fleet can come to help us.</p><p>"Jake! Phone call!" my mother yelled from the downstairs.</p><p>"Is it sweet Cassie?" my brother Tom teased. "Tell her she can do better!"</p><p>Exactly what the real Tom would say. But he's a Controller. Makes the fight so much closer to home when your own brother is a Yeerk. I <em>will</em> free him one day.</p><p>"Your friend from school!" Mom explained.</p><p>I ran past Tom down the stairs, flipping him the middle finger, to get the phone from my mother.</p><p>My father sat at the kitchen table with the paper and a cup of coffee. He looked up and acknowledged me with a warm smile and a nod.</p><p>I nodded back and took the phone. "Hello?"</p><p>"Hey, Jake? This is Erek. Erek King," the voice said.</p><p>My blood ran cold. When he called, it usually wasn't good news. </p><p>See, Erek wasn't a normal boy.</p><p>He's is part of an ancient race of super-strong pacifist android dogs called the Chee created by an extinct race of beings called the Pemalites whose spirits were infused with wolves to create dogs.</p><p>Sounds crazy, but it's true.</p><p>The Chee use advanced holographic technology to blend in. They've infiltration the Yeerks and give us intel whenever they can.</p><p>Usually that intel involves a lot of pain and danger on our end.</p><p>"Hey, bro, what's up?" I replied, gripping the phone tightly.</p><p>"I got a new video game I want you to check out," Erek said. "You in?"</p><p>"Video game." Code for "Suicidal secret mission."</p><p>Great.</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I'm in."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Rachel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey, Rachel here!</p><p>Not Rachel Greene from <em>Friends</em>, though she's awesome. The fashion queen!</p><p>No. Just Rachel. You know the deal. Can't tell you my last name, where I live, blah blah blah.</p><p>The four of us--Jake, Cassie, Marco, and I-- gathered in the Chee's underground dog park where androids and dumb happy dogs frolicked and had a good time. Erek had his hologram on, a serious expression on his projected face.</p><p>Everyone was worried, but I was just raring to get down to business.</p><p>See, everyone had their own sort of roles in our rag-tag group.</p><p>Jake was our appointed leader.</p><p>Marco, when he wasn't making stupid jokes, was actually super smart and strategic-minded. </p><p>Cassie was the heart of our group and most talented morpher.</p><p>Tobias, who was probably eating a mouse breakfast right now, served double duty as our eyes in the sky and my source of the "D" when he when he was in human morph.</p><p>Ax was our resident alien, so naturally he was an invaluable walking encyclopedia of extraterrestrial knowledge and our timekeeper when we were in morph.</p><p>And me? I just liked to kick ass. So while everyone was probably dreading our upcoming mission, I just wanted to get the talking over with and get on with the action!</p><p>"So, what do you have for us today, Erek?" Marco yawned. "Brimstone, hellfire, and unholy torture?"</p><p>Marco thinks he's funny. He's just dramatic and annoying most of the time.</p><p>"The Sharing is going to the rain forests of South America for a "relief mission," Erek replied.</p><p>Cassie's eyebrows knit. "Something tells me the Yeerks aren't there to save the Amazon."</p><p>"They're not," Erek confirmed, stepping towards the center of our little group. "From what I've heard, a ship carrying top-secret cargo crash-landed there."</p><p>"Cargo that we'll need to destroy before the Yeerks get to it," deduced Jake.</p><p>"Most likely," nodded Erek. </p><p>"Well, how're we gonna get there?" asked Marco. "The Amazon is a long ways away, and a huge place. By the time we even find it the Yeerks will have already gotten to it!"</p><p>"The Sharing will be chartering a private plane that will depart later this afternoon so that they can salvage the ship in the cover of darkness," Erek explained.</p><p>"So you're suggesting we stow away on the plane full of koolaid drinking Controllers, sneak out in the jungle where thousands of species of plants and animals want to kill us to get to a crash-landed ship that may have even more koolaid drinking Controllers still alive in it?" Marco asked.</p><p>A ghost of a smile crept across Erek's holographic face. "Yes."</p><p>"You know what I'm gonna say next, right?" Marco said.</p><p>"Well, as insane as it is, it has to be done," Jake sighed. He turned to Erek. "You and the Chee got pretend-to-be-us duties?"</p><p>Erek nodded. A flash and he turned into a carbon copy of Jake before turning back into "Erek."</p><p>Jake raised his eyebrows. "Err, okay...please don't make a habit of turning into me in front of me. That's just weird. Even for an Animorph."</p><p>Cassie bit her lip and grinned. "I dunno, I wouldn't mind an extra Jake..."</p><p>Everyone turned to Cassie and Jake blushed.</p><p>Marco snorted. "When we pick up Ax and Tobias we'll talk to Ax about turning into an extra Jake for you."</p><p>Cassie blushed even more than Jake did.</p><p>I stepped in. "Ew, Marco? Wrong on so many levels."</p><p>"Okay...moving on!" Jake interjected, shaking his head. "We do need to hurry and get Ax and Tobias so we can get this show on the road. We stop at the meadow to get them, fly to the airport, and make our way to South America."</p><p>"You make it sound so easy," Marco sniped. "Well, folks, you heard the man. Chop-chop! Rachel?"</p><p>"What?" I asked, still internally cringing about Marco's double Jake comment.</p><p>"What do you mean, "what?" Marco was affronted. "You <em>know</em> "what."</p><p>"Right. Let's do it!"</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Tobias</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>My name is Tobias, and boy, was I hungry.</p><p>And breakfast had just wriggled out of its little hidey hole for me to eat.</p><p>A tasty little baby rabbit.</p><p>I tensed my wings and dived down, talons forward.</p><p>It all lasted a second. The baby rabbit didn't even have time to react by the time my sharp talons sunk into its back and crushed its skull. </p><p>A merciful and humane death that was necessary for me to live another day to fight the Yeerks for another day.</p><p>That's what I tell myself before I kill, and after. I'm sorry. Thank you for your nourishment.</p><p>The hawk doesn't care though. It's eat or be eaten to the hawk.</p><p>The hawk had hardened me. I suppose I was a soft, sensitive kid before being trapped as a hawk, long before this war did.</p><p>I've grown accustomed to it. The freedom of flight, no bills or taxes. There are drawbacks, of course: eat or be eaten.</p><p>The life of a predator.</p><p>Even after the nearly omnipotent cosmic being called the Ellimist restored my morphing abilities and even warped time to allow me to acquire my own human DNA, I chose to remain a hawk.</p><p>Better than being a punching bag for bullies and invisible to my alcoholic uncle.</p><p>I carried my kill back up to my tree and began to dig in. It's never a good idea to eat your kill right where you killed it. You never know what's hiding around in the bushes to steal your meal and take <em>you</em> for dessert. At least in the trees you have that extra bit of security.</p><p>I managed to get a few bites in before I saw the shadows looming overhead. The hawk in me panicked, but the human part of me realized that seagulls usually don't fly around forests, where they'd have to work for their food.</p><p>&lt;Hey guys, whatever it is, can't it wait until the end of breakfast?&gt; I asked in thought-speak. It's how we communicate in morph.</p><p>&lt;No time, bro.&gt; Jake replied in his seagull morph. &lt;We got a plane to catch. Let's get Ax and get a move on.&gt;</p><p>I swallowed my last bite of rabbit flesh and flew off, morphing into a seagull as I went.</p><p>It's tricky at first, but you get used to it with practice.</p><p>Honestly, going from being a hawk to a seagull is like downgrading from a Ferrari to a station wagon, but such is life for an Animorph.</p><p>&lt;So what's so important that I had to cut breakfast short?&gt; I asked when I joined them as we flew over the treetops to Ax's scoop.</p><p>&lt;Yeerk ship crashed in the rain forest with top-secret cargo,&gt; Jake replied.</p><p>&lt;Hey man, don't feel bad,&gt; Marco cut in. &lt;I had to shove an entire microwave burrito down my throat after Jake called me. Even in seagull morph, my throat is still burned.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Idiot.&gt; said Rachel.</p><p>&lt;Hi, honey.&gt; I said cheerfully.</p><p>&lt;Oh, hi baby!&gt; Rachel purred.</p><p>&lt;Somebody kill me before the literal lovebirds here do it.&gt; Marco growled.</p><p>&lt;You're just jealous because the last pussy you touched was a housecat you morphed into!&gt; Rachel shot back.</p><p>&lt;<em>Damn</em>, girl!&gt; Cassie chuckled.</p><p>&lt;You know what--&gt; Marco began.</p><p>&lt;Look alive, guys I see Ax!&gt; Jake snapped.</p><p>Sure enough a blue centaur-like figure ran through the grass and then stopped to look up with his stalk eyes.</p><p>One look at Ax, and you could tell he wasn't from around here. Along with the blue centaur body of an Andalite, he had a long scorpion-like tail and a mouthless face with four eyes--two in the regular place and two on swiveling stalks. Andalites communicated with thought-speak and fed and drank through their hooves.</p><p>Oh, and long story short, he's technically my uncle since the Andalite that gave us our powers, Elfangor, is my father.</p><p>The Ellimist again.</p><p>Yup.</p><p>&lt;Hello, Prince Jake. Hello, everyone.&gt; Ax greeted. &lt;What is the occasion?&gt;</p><p>A "prince" is a sort of military rank in the Andalite military. Jake was not a big fan.</p><p>&lt;Don't call me Prince.&gt; Jake said for what had to be the hundredth time. &lt;Morph seagull and join us. We gotta go.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Yes, Prince Jake.&gt; Ax replied. We circled until Ax was done morphing and flew in formation with us.</p><p>Away we went towards the airport as Jake briefed the situation to Ax.</p><p>&lt;So what could the Yeerks be transporting that's so important?&gt; Jake asked Ax.</p><p>&lt;It could be anything, Prince Jake.&gt; Ax guessed. &lt;Weapons, technology, Kandrona emitters. It could be a search and detain if the cargo was host bodies.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough.&gt; Jake said grimly. &lt;C'mon guys! Let's hurry!&gt;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Cassie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Did you know that it takes over fourteen hours to get from the western United States to the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil?</p><p>That obviously would have been a problem, but Erek assured us that since the Yeerks were in such a rush to get there, they were using a Yeerk modified aircraft that would cut the trip to a fraction of the time. It would be close, but if we timed it right, we could get it done.</p><p>If.</p><p>There was the matter of actually <em>getting on</em> the plane. We couldn't exactly fly in there as seagulls without drawing attention to ourselves, but anything smaller like a fly would take forever to reach the plane.</p><p>Now, getting inside the plane was going to be the trickiest part. The advantage we had, however, was that the Yeerks were expecting us to board with the passengers, so they would have tighter security there.</p><p>We've decided to stowaway in the cargo hold of the plane: the last time we stowed away around passengers, Jake nearly got squished in fly morph and Tobias nearly got pooped on.</p><p>It goes without saying that we wanted to avoid getting squished. Or pooped on.</p><p>Or to go the rest of our lives without knowing what a "Cleveland steamer" was. Thanks, Marco.</p><p>&lt;The best I got is the Dragonfly Express.&gt; Jake said. &lt;That got us inside the Marriott.&gt;</p><p>&lt;And me nearly trapped as a giant flea!&gt; Marco objected.</p><p>&lt;I nearly died too, Marco.&gt; I added. &lt;But let me point out that we also don't have a certain <em>someone</em> with us to complicate things.&gt;</p><p>I didn't need to elaborate further. They knew exactly <em>who</em> I was talking about.</p><p>Rachel huffed. &lt;C'mon folks, time is ticking!&gt;</p><p>&lt;Dragonfly Express it is.&gt; Jake decided.</p><p>We demorphed out of sight and camera range in the cover of an alley of the airport buildings and hugged tight to Jake so that we were close by when we were in the tiny and nearly blind flea morph. Tobias stood on Jake's head, careful not to scratch Jake with his talons.</p><p>"This would be one hell of a kinky orgy, you think?" Marco quipped. "Four humans, a bird, and an alien?"</p><p>Rachel punched Marco hard in the shoulder before holding onto Jake again. Ax kept a stalk eye out and clicked his hooves impatiently. </p><p>Jake fought a smile. Marco was one of the few who get under Jake's skin when he was in "fearless leader" mode. He always knew how to ease our nerves by getting on our nerves. "Not even going to entertain that one. Let's morph."</p><p>We closed our eyes tight and focused. Nobody wanted to see the nightmare freakshow of morphing up close.</p><p>Luckily, one of the first things to go was my sight, so I didn't have to see the sight attached to the awful grinding, shifting, and squelching of everyone's bones rearranging and melting into insect exoskeletons.</p><p>We shrank down and down, like an elevator without the boring music. </p><p>Luckily, by the grace of God, or the Ellimist I suppose, it didn't take us long at all to cluster onto Jake's dragonfly back and lift off towards the aircraft.</p><p>Dragonflies are like the fighter jets of the insect world. We really had to dig our little hooks into the chinks of Jake's dragonfly armor to avoid getting blown away by the wind his four beating wings made. It was far from cheetah speed, not even fast-walking  human speed, but we were powering along.</p><p>&lt;This sucks.&gt; Marco grumbled after a couple minutes. &lt;I hate the Dragonfly Express. I hate fleas.&gt;</p><p>&lt;I'm not exactly enthused about going to the Rain Forest, either.&gt; Jake shot back. &lt;We died in there. At least in another time we did.&gt;</p><p>&lt;The <em>Sairo Rip.</em>&gt; Ax deduced.</p><p>&lt;Yeah.&gt; Jake sighed.</p><p>&lt;And now we have another chance to do it in this time.&gt; grumbled Marco. &lt;We aren't even there yet and--&gt;</p><p>&lt;We're inside!&gt; Jake announced. &lt;Hugging the corner ceiling. There's a couple Controllers here checking bags. They're talking.&gt;</p><p>&lt;What're they saying?&gt; I asked.</p><p>&lt;Um...hard to decipher...lemme see.&gt; </p><p>A tense moment passed.</p><p>&lt;Who farted?&gt; Marco.</p><p>&lt;Shut up! He's trying to focus!&gt; Rachel. </p><p>&lt;Okay. One is saying that Visser Three is demanding that the cargo be salvaged quickly and...oh shit.&gt; Jake began.</p><p>&lt;What?!&gt; I yelped. Jake didn't curse unless he was stressed or angry to the max. So when he did, you-know-what just hit the fan.</p><p><em>&lt;Alive</em> and intact or else heads will roll.&gt;</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Marco</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The flight wasn't that long thanks to the Yeerk superplane, but it was long enough. </p><p>Long enough to get us worried at the hour and forty-five minute mark.</p><p>&lt;Estimated landing time will be ten minutes so the Yeerk plans can land at the airport at a regular cruising speed.&gt; Jake reported as an announcement sounded over the speakers, inaudible to the rest of our deaf flea senses.</p><p>&lt;That only gives us five minutes to demorph, and if the disembarking is as slow as a regular human flight...&gt; Rachel speculated.</p><p>&lt;We can't risk being trapped in morph.&gt; Jake agreed.</p><p>&lt;There's probably surveillance cameras in here,&gt; I pointed out. &lt;Just looking for Andalites in morph.&gt;</p><p>Jake thought for a moment. &lt;Okay. The moment this plane lands, Tobias will demorph first. Then he'll go something big, like an elephant, kick the cargo bay open and we'll demorph under the cover of his body. The Yeerks will be coming fast, so we'll need to be in bird morph ASAP and fly like hell.&gt;</p><p>I had to admire Jake for that, being able to have an answer in life or death situations. I dunno if I could ever have the stomach for that. My strength is logistics. Finding the clearest path from Point A to Point B. Giving the orders to my friends and family to risk their life is a whole nother ballgame.</p><p>At the same time, though, it's my duty as designated best friend to call him out. I guess it's like the court jester and the king. The court jester was the only one who could give the king shit without losing his head.</p><p>&lt;That really is the most insane and convoluted plan you've ever come up with, Jake.&gt; I said. &lt;And that's saying something.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Yeah, well, it's our best option short of demorphing human on camera or spending the rest of our lives as bugs so...&gt; Jake said defensively.</p><p>&lt;What about dracon beams? Wouldn't they fire on us if we try to escape?&gt; Cassie pointed out.</p><p>&lt;The installation would most certainly be Yeerk controlled.&gt; Ax explained. &lt;However, it is highly doubtful that they would risk possibly revealing themselves to the population or risk damaging aircraft.&gt;</p><p>&lt;That's a lot of broad assumptions.&gt; I groaned. &lt;When you assume you make an ass out of "u and me".&gt;</p><p>&lt;You're an ass.&gt; Rachel quipped.</p><p>I was about to come back with a snappy retort but the dragonfly-Jake's voice roared in our heads. &lt;We don't have a lot of time to debate this!&gt; </p><p>&lt;Let's just get this over with...&gt; Tobias grumbled.</p><p>When Jake reported that the plane had finally landed, Tobias was up. A minute later, and Tobias announced he was going elephant.</p><p>&lt;Everyone demorph and stay low! Go bird!&gt; Jake ordered.</p><p>I was glad to become human again. There wasn't too many forms I'd want to be stuck in, and a flea wasn't one of them. I was almost a giant flea once. Not fun.</p><p>We were all packed like sardines. Four humans. A claustrophobic Andalite. A freaking elephant.</p><p>But there was no rest for the weary. As soon as I was one hundred percent my sexy self, I had to go osprey.</p><p>Morphing is so incredibly exhausting. A single morph is like running a sprint race. Multiple morphs in a short time is like doing a decathlon. Add the threat of homicidal space slugs and an elephant loudly kicking out a plane door while melting into a hawk and you had a very stressful situation.</p><p>With my developing osprey senses, I could hear the rush of footsteps. Tobias had kicked some luggage and supplies in front of the cargo bay door to buy us some time, but it wouldn't be that long. We had to hurry.</p><p>&lt;C'mon c'mon!&gt; Jake urged. &lt;Out out! I could hear them debating the use of dracon beams!&gt;</p><p>Out of the corner of my sharp osprey eyes, I could see the red-hot glow of the energy cutting through the door. If they got through before we were out, we'd be barbecue.</p><p>&lt;That was a quick debate.&gt; I said, flapping towards the light of the busted-out plane door.</p><p>&lt;Let's go!&gt; roared Jake.</p><p>I could see a crowd of people crowding around the plane. Cell phones and digital cameras. The Yeerks couldn't retaliate further without risking exposure.</p><p>A decidedly unconventional flock of raptors powered out of the plane and into the Brazilian sky admist the flash of camera phones.</p><p>Yeah, the Yeerks knew we were here for the party, but at least we were alive.</p><p>For now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Aximili</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As an Andalite, it never ceases to amaze me the unprecedented amount of biodiversity that the Earth has.</p><p>From my past research on the planet, I have learned that this "Amazon Rainforest" is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Over three million animal species and over two thousand tree species live in the rainforest, a staggering number compared to the Andalite homeworld, for example.</p><p>As an outsider, it absolutely baffles me that the humans would seek out to wipe out such an innocent place for the sake of industry. The Amazon alone would keep generations of Andalite scientists busy, let alone the entire planet!</p><p>It was this indignity I brought up to my human friends as we soared through the rainforest, high above the Yeerks below as they exited out from the Braxilian city to the rainforest in human combustion driven vehicles called "jeeps."</p><p>The Yeerks traveled through the swathes of deforested land-- land that we could see with our raptor eyes in the distance was still being further deforested by various logging machines.</p><p>As disturbed as I was by it, Cassie was even more incensed, much more than the others.</p><p>&lt;They're just as bad as the Yeerks!&gt; she grumbled. &lt;I wish we could fly over there and stop them!&gt;</p><p>&lt;Cass, as much as--&gt; Prince Jake began.</p><p>&lt;Don't say it!&gt; Cassie snapped. &lt;I know that's not the reason why we're here. Doesn't mean I can't be angry about it.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Can't do much about it even if that <em>was</em> the reason why we're here.&gt; Marco pointed out. &lt;This has been going on for decades.&gt;</p><p>&lt;We can't do much about the Yeerks other than slow them down. But we still do it.&gt; Tobias countered.</p><p>&lt;Fighting the Yeerks is the difference between life or death.&gt; Marco replied. &lt;I'm not worried about a few thousand trees compared to a few billion people.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Even without the Yeerks here we'd be destroying the planet at the same pace.&gt; Cassie said.</p><p>&lt;Yeah, well--&gt; Marco began.</p><p>&lt;I see the crash site in a canyon several miles away!&gt; Prince Jake interrupted. &lt;If there are Yeerks there, then we can't approach in our current morphs. They'd be too familiar with them.&gt;</p><p>&lt;What about those parrots we morphed a while back at the food court?&gt; Rachel suggested. </p><p>&lt;Tobias and Ax don't have those morphs.&gt; Jake replied skeptically. &lt;They'd stick out like a sore thumb.&gt;</p><p>&lt;I see some kinda brightly colored bird in a tree over there!&gt; Tobias pointed out. &lt;If I can get 'em on the ground, Ax and I could acquire it and catch up to those Yeerks.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Do it.&gt; Prince Jake quickly ordered. &lt;Let's get on the ground and go parrot, guys!&gt;</p><p>The five of us dived towards the forest floor as Tobias banked off towards what appeared to be a green bird. The bird took off before Tobias could grab at it, but Tobias, using his superior intelligence, readjusted in midair and caught it with one of his talons. He quickly began the acquiring process which calmed the bird and carefully guided the animal to the ground. </p><p>I was completely demorphed by the time Tobias made it to the ground with the bird, and I galloped up to meet him, catching the bird with my arms.</p><p>&lt;Get up in the air and keep an eye on those Yeerks!&gt; Prince Jake ordered, already halfway parrot. &lt;We can't lose them!&gt;</p><p>I followed Tobias with my stalk eye as he ascended up past the canopies of the trees, his ruddy feathers turning a bright shade of green as he went.</p><p>As I did so, the bird woke up and flapped wildly out of my arms.</p><p>My friends were nearly completely morphed and airborne, so I focused on the bird and began my morphing. My blue fur became green. My stalk eyes shrunk into my head, leaving me only able to see forward, but with the tradeoff of sharpened sight. I shrunk, gained a beak. Wings.</p><p>I was then introduced to the bird's instincts. It did not like being on the ground, preferring the safety of the trees or the open air. My cool Andalite mind obliged its instincts and I joined my friends above the treetops.</p><p>The eyes were not as sharp as our raptor morphs, but sharper than my Andalite vision or my friends' human vision.</p><p>I did miss being able to see in all directions at once. I do not know how the earthlings do it. So blind.</p><p>&lt;I see the Yeerk convoy a little ways ahead.&gt; Prince Jake announced. &lt;The crash site should be much, much farther. Let's try to get there before they do.&gt;</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Jake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>We flew and flew the miles of rainforest, high above the convoys of Human-Controllers on jeeps and on foot as they trekked through the treacherous jungle of the Amazon.</p><p>We definitely had an unobstructed path to the crash site, but once we were out of the cover of the trees and out into the open, we were in exponentially more danger, and that wasn't to mention what was potentially waiting for us inside that crashed ship.</p><p>Eventually, we reached the crash site: an vast canyon, both naturally occurring and made even larger by the damage from the crash.</p><p>The spaceship was mostly in one peice, but it certainly wasn't going anywhere ever again. Whatever it was.</p><p>Since the ship was connected to the Yeerks, we had assumed that we would be entering a battle axe-like Blade Ship or a massive Pool Ship. But the wreckage before us was unlike anything we had ever seen.</p><p>It looked like a gigantic rounded arrowhead with a pair of large pods on the sides of the arrowhead portion, and then another pair of much smaller ones on the thinner "stem" portion.</p><p>&lt;Does this look like any Yeerk ship you're familiar with, Ax?&gt; I asked.</p><p>Ax paused for a moment. &lt;I am afraid not, Prince Jake. I would venture to guess it is a stolen or repurposed craft.&gt;</p><p>&lt;We don't don't have a choice... let's go in.&gt; I ordered. &lt;I can see an opening on the side from the crash damage.&gt;</p><p>We fluttered in and landed in near total darkness, with only the tree-obscured sunlight filtering through.</p><p>Like the outer hull, the inside of the structure was unlike anything I've ever seen or any of the spaceships I've ever been on. Instead of the twisting, polished corridors and gleaming lights, the structure had been replaced with slimy, techno-organic tunnels that went on as far was we could see.</p><p>&lt;This is an odd choice for an interior.&gt; Ax pointed out. &lt;Very different from the metal exterior.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Something must have created these tunnels.&gt; Cassie hypothesized. &lt;It's like a whole different environment in here!&gt;</p><p>&lt;Oh great!&gt; Marco lamented.</p><p>&lt;This is frigging creepy.&gt; Tobias said. &lt;And that's saying something, considering what we do on a regular basis.&gt;</p><p>It <em>was</em> unsettling. But we had a job to do, and not a lot of time to do it.</p><p>&lt;We're going Hork-Bajir.&gt; I decided. &lt;We don't know if there are any Yeerk survivors, so we need to blend in and protect ourselves if we run into them.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Besides, these tunnels look a little too small for zoo animals.&gt; Cassie pointed out.</p><p>&lt;Exactly.&gt; I agreed.</p><p>We demorphed, exhausted from the marathon of morphing we've already done. </p><p>No rest for the weary. I focused on the Hork-Bajir. At almost six feet tall, I'm already the tallest of the group next to Rachel. But at over seven feet tall, even I'm a midget compared to a Hork-Bajir. </p><p>My neck extended, my bare human feet became T-rex feet. I grew a spiky tail, green skin. Blades popped out of my wrists, elbows, forehead, knees. </p><p>Crazily enough, despite their fearsome and deadly appearance, free Hork-Bajir are actually a super friendly and peaceful species. They use those blades to harvest bark from trees to eat. It the Yeerks who deigned to use them as living weapons.</p><p>The forms we took were of free Hork-Bajir from a hidden colony on Earth. The irony was not lost on us that we too were using their bodies as living weapons.</p><p>&lt;All right guys...&gt; I paused, uneasy. &lt;Stay sharp.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Wait!&gt; Marco held up a large Hork-Bajir hand.</p><p>&lt;What?&gt; I asked, turning my long neck to face him.</p><p>&lt;Did... did you just tell a joke?&gt; Marco was aghast. </p><p>&lt;What?&gt; I reiterated. &lt;Stay sharp?&gt;</p><p>&lt;You son of a bitch.&gt; Marco growled. &lt;Every single  time we've ever morphed Hork-Bajir, and I've never thought to say that? How dare you, sir? How <em>dare</em> you?&gt;</p><p>Thought speak groans filled my head. If I could've smiled with my beak-like Hork-Bajir mouth, I would've.</p><p>&lt;Don't worry, Marco.&gt; I said. &lt;I'll leave the jokes to you from now on, okay?&gt;</p><p>&lt;Thank you.&gt; Maco replied, satisfied. &lt;Proceed.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Whatever.&gt; grumbled Rachel.</p><p>I turned and looked down the dark techno-organic tunnels once again, still uneasy. Not even Marco's jokes were helping.</p><p>Honestly, I just wanted to get the hell out of there.</p><p>&lt;Let's get in and get out.&gt; I said. &lt;Marco?&gt;</p><p>&lt;It's not gonna hit as hard now but "stay sharp!"&gt;</p><p>&lt;Sorry to steal your thunder, buddy.&gt; I sighed. &lt;Rachel, do your thing.&gt;</p><p>Rachel sighed. &lt;Um... right. Let's do it.&gt;</p><p>God, that was not at all convincing. If she was as nervous as the rest of us, then we were in trouble.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Rachel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Was I nervous? Hell yeah, I was nervous!</p><p>The guys always expected me to be fearless in these kind of situations, being that I've always gone into the weirdest and most violent of them with a gung-ho warrior princess attitude.</p><p>But this place felt so... evil. You could just feel it, viscerally. It was so creepy, like a cross between walking inside an insect hive and someone's insides. Slimy, dark, ridged tunnels. </p><p>Like, I love a good fight just as much as anyone else but I'd rather Netflix and chill then be all up in this place, even as a walking cuisinart like a Hork-Bajir.</p><p>Even Marco was silent, which is quite a feat for someone who never shuts up, even before he could speak with his mind and not just his big mouth.</p><p>&lt;I don't believe any of your Earth species are capable of producing tunnels like this in such a short period of time.&gt; Ax pointed out, breaking the silence.</p><p>Well, at least the silence in our heads. The only ambient sounds were our Hork-Bajir huffing and puffing and the clatter of our talons on the tunnel floors.</p><p>&lt;Especially not through solid metal.&gt; Tobias pointed out.</p><p>&lt;I cannot speak for a ship of this origin, but any ship of Yeerk origin, while inferior to Andalite ships, are durable enough to withstand most traumatic forces due to shielding.&gt; Ax pointed out.</p><p>&lt;What about the interiors?&gt; Jake asked. &lt;What do you think could have created these tunnels? Taxxons?&gt;</p><p>Ax was silent for a moment.</p><p>&lt;No Taxxons, Prince Jake. The metal is too strong even for a Taxxon's teeth. If I had to venture a guess ... only a concentrated particle wave beam could have created these tunnels.&gt; Ax replied. &lt;However, a particle wave beam would likely cut cleaner and leave heat scoring behind.These tunnels display features indicative of severe acid damage.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Not just that.&gt; Cassie added, craning her Hork-Bajir neck around. &lt;They kinda remind me of insect hives or something.&gt;</p><p>&lt;So you think overgrown termites made these tunnels or something?!&gt; Marco said nervously.</p><p>&lt;No.&gt; Cassie shot back. &lt;But if Ax doesn't think it's from a dracon beam or whatever, then it has to be something else.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Whatever it is...&gt; Tobias interjected thoughtfully. &lt;How much do you want to bet it's the reason why this ship crashed?&gt;</p><p>&lt;There's a pleasant thought.&gt; Marco muttered darkly.</p><p>&lt;This place does not give me pleasant thoughts.&gt; Ax said. &lt;As a matter of fact I am feeling quite anxious. No Andalite belongs in a tunnel of any sort.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Or a hawk.&gt; Tobias added.</p><p>&lt;Or a teenager.&gt; Cassie said.</p><p>&lt;This entire place doesn't belong.&gt; Jake said. &lt;Whatever happened here, the Yeerks didn't do it, and I don't think they wanted it to happen. Whatever did this might still be inside.&gt;</p><p><em>Whatever did this might still be inside</em>...</p><p>The words echoed around my head until they made sense to me, and then I came to a horrible realization.</p><p>&lt;Oh my God.&gt; I blurted out. The others turned their long Hork-Bajir necks to look at me.</p><p>&lt;Oh shit...&gt; Marco came to the same realization I did. </p><p>&lt;What is it?&gt; Cassie asked, concerned.</p><p>&lt;Whatever the Yeerks were smuggling probably did this, right?&gt; I pointed out. &lt;Maybe that's <em>why</em> they were smuggling it. <em>Because</em> it could do <em>this.&gt;</em></p><p><em>&lt;</em>And Jake heard the Controllers on the plane say they were looking for survivors.&gt; Marco added. &lt;So whatever did this could be a living thing. Or things.&gt;</p><p><em>&lt;</em>A biological weapon.&gt; Ax said.</p><p>So the survivors the Yeerks were looking for weren't their own Controllers. </p><p>It was their cargo.</p><p>Great. This mission was getting better and better.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Tobias</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I was never really big on dark, enclosed spaces as a human, and as a hawk I am downright claustrophobic, even in the tall, bladed body of a Hork-Bajir.</p><p>Maybe even more so as a Hork-Bajir, if that makes sense, because the Hork-Bajir takes up more space than the smaller red-tailed hawk. At least I can fly as a bird.</p><p>As a Hork-Bajir, all I could do is just lumber around like Godzilla.</p><p>Add in the idea that we might not be alone-- not alone with the Yeerks we were expecting, but with whatever living cargo that was capable of eating through metal walls with acid-- scared the birdshit out of me.</p><p>Marco mumbling and grumbling the entire time didn't help matters much, either.</p><p>&lt;I swear, if something jumps out of one of those  tunnels at us, I'm bookin all the way outta here, outta the rain forest and back home.&gt; Marco declared </p><p>&lt;How would you be getting home, Marco?&gt; Rachel asked sarcastically. &lt;Would you blow hot air out of your ass until you make it back? Lord knows you got enough of that for a return trip.&gt;</p><p>&lt;I'm an Animorph, duh.&gt; Marco replied. &lt;I'd just fly home, duh!&gt;</p><p>I laughed. &lt;With what? Your seagull? Osprey? You'd tucker out in no time!&gt;</p><p>&lt;So says the Bird-Boy.&gt; Marco grumbled.</p><p>&lt;He's right&gt; Cassie pointed out. &lt;We don't have any long distance flying morphs.&gt;</p><p>&lt;It does beg the question of how we're getting home.&gt; Jake added.</p><p>&lt;<em>If</em> we survive long enough to go home.&gt; Marco mustered darkly.</p><p>&lt;Oh stop being such a whiny little bitch, Marco!&gt; snapped Rachel.</p><p>&lt;How about you just stop being a bitch, period?!&gt; Marco shot back.</p><p>&lt;How about you go fu--&gt; Rachel began.</p><p>My feathers were being ruffled, and Jake stepped in before I could.</p><p>&lt;This is not the place to argue!&gt; he snapped. &lt;Look. I get it. We're all on edge right now. We're miles from home, stuck in this creepy dark acid tunnel on a Yeerk ship--&gt;</p><p>&lt;Not a Yeerk ship.&gt; Cassie reminded him.</p><p>&lt;Whatever. The point is the Yeerks want whatever's inside, and are going to great lengths to get to it.&gt; Jake continued. &lt;So it's our job to get to it before they do and--&gt;</p><p>&lt;Destroy it?&gt; Rachel said hopefully.</p><p>If I wasn't scared out of my feathers I would have laughed. Good ol' Rachel. Attack first, ask questions later.</p><p>&lt;If we have to.&gt; Jake said simply.</p><p>&lt;They could be living beings, Jake.&gt; Cassie reminded him. &lt;We should at least see if they are held here against their will and could be reasoned with.&gt;</p><p>&lt;I dunno about you, but anything that could do <em>this</em> to frigging metal... I don't wanna be messing around with.&gt; Marco warned, gesturing his Hork-Bajir hands around at the acid-warped metal. &lt;I say we blow this joint and get home and in time to watch <em>Conan</em>.&gt;</p><p>&lt;I concur, Prince Jake. &gt; Ax added. &lt;I must say my Andalite instincts of claustrophobia are taking me to the verge of panic and I may, as you humans say it: "freak the freak out".&gt;</p><p>&lt;I second Ax.&gt; I jumped in. &lt;When I'm heading towards death and danger, I prefer to fly towards it.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Well, I for one prefer to fly away from death and danger. <em>Far</em> away from it.&gt; Marco replied. &lt;I'll leave the flying into danger for Rachel.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Oh my God.&gt; Rachel said suddenly. She had took the lead to get away from Marco, and had stopped at the end of the tunnel.  &lt;Oh my God. Oh my God.&gt;</p><p>Whatever she saw, it couldn't have been good. Rachel sounded <em>terrified</em>.</p><p>&lt;What is it?&gt; Jake asked, concerned. He rushed to her side and then froze like a statue.</p><p>&lt;My God.&gt;</p><p>I peered between them, and for once I was glad I  didn't have my sharp hawk eyes.</p><p>What I saw was a vision of Hell.</p>
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